{mosimage} A friend of mine recently asked my opinion of the upcoming BCS National Championship game. As a fan of Ohio State, people ask me this question with an invisible shield built to block whatever bullshit may come out of my mouth. After all, I'm a self-proclaimed OSU homer, ready and willing to to spread my homeristic ways to all that will listen. After a brief pause I told him, "honestly, I think Ohio State wins because they are the better team. LSU is a good team but I just think Ohio State is better. I think their O-Line is in trouble."

Immediately, my friend calls me out, "Well, what if you were not and Ohio State fan. What would you think then." I thought it out a little bit and told him, "Well, I am an Ohio State fan and I truly think Ohio State is better than LSU. I think they match up well and I like how many national pundits are trying to portray the game. I think OSU is better. Officially, I've already wrote that Ohio State wins 34-26 but in actuality I'm just being modest, I think they win by two touchdowns." My friend cautions, "I have not seen LSU too much this year but I hear they are pretty good...." My friend is right, they are good but the Buckeyes are better.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Here is a breakdown of the two teams along with some insight of how things could play out. I've seen every game for Ohio State and easily over half of LSU's games.

What Ohio State brings to the Table

Offensively, OSU has a very balanced offense lead by sophomore RB Chris "Beanie" Wells, who is a man-child and future NFL first round pick, no doubt. Maurice Wells and Brandon Saine provide able backups, with Saine slowed by an injury much of the year but should be fully recovered. Saine is big and fast while Mo Wells is considered a veteran "scat back". Complimenting the RB's is an offensive line that is among the best in the nation, lead by LT Alex Boone and RT Kirk Barton. UF ate these guys alive a year ago and it's doubtful they have forgotten. Center Jim Cordle will have his hands full with DT Glenn Dorsey and will likely need some help. Overall, the O-Line is ginormous and looks to wear down opponents.

LSU will dare QB Todd Boeckman to throw over the top after stuffing the box with 8 men and he will. WR's and former track stars Brian Hartline/Ray Small will await the long balls, hoping he hits them in stride and leading WR Brian Robiske will lead the team in receptions. I even think the tight ends will get in on the act and it would not at all surprise me to see Jacob Ballard make a key touchdown catch.

On defense, Ohio State is statistically the best in the nation. They are not void of weaknesses though, particularly on the defensive line. All year they have battled injuries, starting with the first game when DE Lawrence Wilson was lost for the season. He was supposed to be potentially the best player on the line. Speculation has hummed for awhile now that Wilson could make an appearance for the title game but at this point I don't see that happening. In his place Robert Rose did not live up to his billing, with a lovely injury excuse, which was heard louder when he missed a couple of games. In his place came true freshman Cameron Heyward, who outpaced everyone's expectations. Cameron is the son of legend Ironhead Heyward and from all historical accounts plays with the same nastiness. I expect a still dinged up Rose to split time with Heyward.

The DT position was probably the weakest for OSU when considering their depth, talent and injuries. Everybody on OSU's roster started for the first time, with sophomore Todd Denlinger and Doug Worthington leading the charge. Denlinger missed significant playing time this season and with him out of the lineup you could tell a read difference with the Run D, as he was built to stuff running lanes. Former HS wrestling cham (R-Fr) Dexter Larimore filled in admirably but he could use more seasoning. Dough Worthington occupies the other tackle position after a mover from DE. He has done a good job in his tall (6-7) and slender (271 lbs.) frame. Backing Worthington up is Jr. Nader Abdallah, a Louisiana native who is amped for his return. Abdallah had underachieved until this year and coaches have praised him for his newfound work ethic. How much of his PT is due to improvement, and not graduation and injuries, remains to be seen. I have a sneaking suspicion it's a combonation of the two.

The back 7 for Ohio State is as good as ever for the Buckeyes. Seriously, they are probably better than the 2005 unit lead by A.J. Hawk and the 2002 unit lead by Mike Doss.

At MLB, James Laurinaitis could be the best all-around athlete on the team. This is not only seen during run plays but passing plays as well. He has great hands and insticts to compliment his above average speed. He could be a top 10 pick in the NFL draft if he leaves early. The OLB spots are manned by Marcus Freeman and Larry Grant. Freeman has been in the system for awhile and is very fast. Early on this season and his career, he seemed to have trouble tackling in space but he seemed to shore up those issues as experience is gained. This game is big for him to prove his true worth. Grant is a rare Jim Tressel JUCO player and is playing in yet another title game (2 at San Francisco, 2 at OSU) and is looking for his first win. He brings athleticism and is hoping to land on an NFL team late in the NFL Draft.

The DB's are very good, lead by experienced Jr. cornerback Malcom Jenkins. Donald Washington is a rising star at the other corner position. He has recently been said to be suspended for the game due to undisclosed reasons (Columbus Dispatch), only to have the claims refuted. It will be interesting to see if he is penalized for the game. If he is, R-Fr Chimdi Chekwa will take his spot and Jr. Jamario O'Neal will slide in as the Nickel back. O'Neal has not come close to living up to his billing and looked horrible for Ohio State last year against Florida. FS Anderson Russel and SS Kurt Coleman are both young and very good. Last year Russel was hurt for the title game and Coleman is undersized but plays the pass well and tackles with authority.

What LSU brings to the table

The leader of the LSU team is DT Glenn Dorsey, who absolutely needs to be healthy for LSU to stop Chris Wells. But their talent and experience does not stop with him.

Offensively, QB Matt Flynn and Ryan Perrilloux will likely split time, with Flynn getting the starting nod. Going by statistics, Perrilloux has been the better player overall in limited opportunities. An suspension earlier in the year slowed his progress but a late season injury to Flynn allowed him to shine in the SEC title game, where he did what needed to be done to win. Both QB's will need to remain calm and hit shorts passes against the zone run by OSU. Both QB's are able to run the ball.

LSU loves to run the ball and they do it very well. Jacob Hester is a north/south type of guy who can get first downs and run out the clock with the best of them. Hester is an overachiever who does not fumble.

Behind Hester are 3 sophomore RBs with over 300 rushing yards each (none under 5.7 ypc). Keiland Williams is a big back who can scoot and the same can be said for Charles Scott. Trindon Holliday is a speed guy who is 165 lbs. soaking wet.

At Wide Reciever, Brandon LaFell, Demetrius Byrd and Early Doucet provide a fearsome threesome that rival any WR unit in the country. Doucet is probably the best, with 50 catches and 474 yards, despite missing 5 games. Byrd is a deep play threat who caught the winning grab against Auburn. TE Richard Dickson is more than capable of providing a receiving threat, with 331 yards and 3 tds on the year.

What should concern LSU about their O-Line, and I can't claim to be an expert of their O-Line, is the fact that they've given up 28 total sacks this year compared to OSU's 14. Additionally, I beleive Sr. Carnell Stewart is injured (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Overall, LSU's D it very good and experienced. Their D-Line is good and with Dorsey they are great. But, they average giving up over 100 yards per game, something that will need to be fixed against a run-oriented Buckeye team.

LB's Ali Highsmith (a likely NFL 1st round pick), Luke Sanders and Darry Beckwith are all tough, fast and experienced--even if a bit undersized.

In the defensive backfield Craig Steltz enters with tons of experience and acclaim, while Curtis Taylor is thought to be underrated and very good. At corner, Jonathan Zenon and Chevis Jackson are both seniors with tons of experience.

What I Read and Hear

LSU is faster. The SEC is without a doubt the best conference in America. The SEC has won eight straight vs. the Big Ten in bowl games (haha...simply not true as they went 1-2 just a year ago), they have the best coaches (certainly not loyal...an NFL graveyard) and so on.

Well, no SEC team comes close to the number of NFL players produced by Ohio State and if you factor in the additional SEC teams, the overall average for a conference is practically the same. SEC fans think the Big 10 is better than the Big East and that's it. I heard it so much I started to beleive it myself. But a weird thing happened after watching pretty much every game I could this year, including many SEC games down in sunny Florida--I thought for myself. The SEC may have a slight advantage over the Big 10 overall but their best team is not better than Ohio State. They are not faster. They are not stronger. They CERTAINLY are not better coached.

What the SEC lacks mostly is class. Whether you are talking about academic standards or coaching integrity, the SEC comes up short. Let's not even talk about recruiting, where their motto is "if you don't cheat you don't win."

Everyone talks about how Urban Meyer and Ron Zook beat OSU with the spread because they are SEC guys. On the contrary, they beat OSU in part because they are Ohio guys. Yes, whether the south likes implants or not, they need them to hold any water. Les Miles is a Michigan Man who understands what Ohio State is about. As a Buckeye fan I wanted nothing more than to bring his irrational, say anything for placement in the polls ass to coach at UM and get his butt kicked by Jim Tressel habitually. As it stands, I just get to taste victory just this once in the title game. Similiar to the Miami game in 2002, where the Hurricanes supposedly had too much speed and talent (looking back--very similiar) Ohio State is going to win this game. Different than that game, this one will be easier.

All of this desite LSU playing in their backyard. Expect the unexpected folks (for whatever reason), a solid OSU team that plays great D and special teams that will slowly suck the life out of the Tigers behind the running of Chris Wells and the aerial attack of an underappreciated Todd Boeckman. It's called Tressel-ball--enjoy! The man has built a dynasty, the likes of which even USC will look up to following this game.

Prediction

Ohio State wins in a typical Jim Tressel game, one in which the score indicates it was slightly closer than it actually was. One in which Chris "Beanie" Wells runs over, through and around the LSU defense. One in which Jim Tressel picks up his sixth national title (4 1AA titles, 2 at OSU) in a remarkable 9 attempts. One in which he brings the word "dynasty" to the lips of all the disappointed doubters, and cements himself as the greatest Ohio coach of all-time and one of the best in the history of college football. Yeah, it's true, I've drank the scarlet and gray kool-aid. I've sold my soul for a scarlet and gray lollipop...and the lollipop tastes good. Please, can I have another!?

Ohio State - 34 LSU - 26

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JEH45 said:

	Lloyds: It appears you have your game face on! Go Bucks! Want me to pick you up on my way to New Orleans? I could use some gas money and it would be a wonderful writeoff for DRS. LSU is tough. I expect a very hard hitting game and one of the teams to blink.
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December 29, 2007
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Joe said:

	I Guess LSU was the better team after all HU!!!!
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January 09, 2008 | url
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Lloyds Apple said:

	Yes sir.
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January 09, 2008
Votes: +0

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